Especially on RD, I try to remember the dishonesty of war.
I don’t believe my choice belittles the sacrifice and suffering of those good-hearted and noble citizens choosing to enlist. I don’t believe it challenges their intelligence, integrity, or motives. I don’t believe it shows a lack of gratitude for the sacrifice so many have made. I don’t believe I am disrespecting those in my family who have experienced war. I don’t believe it is unpatriotic or subversive. I do not think that it requires elimination of our forces. I don’t believe this reflection makes us vulnerable.
I am not being naive.
I simply think, as humanity, we can do better.
To really honour those who have given so much, we should try to do better. If we truly appreciate their loss, it should become unthinkable to allow such losses to ever happen again. To truly remember the horror, pain, suffering, and loss, is to try harder than ever to ensure it doesn’t happen again. It is inevitable that such pain and loss will be experienced by our children unless we are lead but such sacrifice to learn, and grow, and become better.
To remember should be the commitment to end all war, forever.
This is no different than curing disease. This no different than the invention of the seatbelt. The idea of vaccinations. The advancement of science. The new efficiencies in the economy. Better nutrition. Better education. The pursuit of the greater good.
As beings, are we not committed to making tomorrow better than today? Shouldn’t we be diligent in our efforts to make the world better for the next generation? Isn’t our motivation for such, the remembering of previous suffering?
Why do we allow war to continue?
I believe in my heart that humans are better than this.
I believe in my heart that humans are not naturally warring. We are gentle beings seeking peace. That those who have enlisted for war have been convinced that it is the only answer to others, evil others, who would take away their freedom and peace, is the proof of the dishonesty.
Years and years after wars have ended and lines on maps have changed, and wealth has changed hands, and oligarchs have been empowered, and arms manufacturers have been enriched, our historians tell us the truth of why we went to war. Seldom is it what the soldiers were told at the time. Seldom was freedom at risk. Seldom would anyone have agreed to pick up arms had they been told the truth.
The first casualty of war is truth. But truth always comes out. The bigger the war, the longer it takes.
Seldom did the decision makers, those inciting war, those declaring war, suffer the losses we remember on November 11th. Seldom did those who profited from war suffer the losses that we pause and remember today.
The kinds of losses we honour today.
The kinds of losses we should never allow again.
There are many ways to solve disagreement. There is no way to solve greed.
The only way to have an enemy, is to be an enemy.
War is madness. We are better than this.
Today I remember the dishonesty of war.
I choose something better.
